Strawberry Slice and Overstacked Dice
by LunaduSoleilx3
Summary: Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep." Carl Sandburg
1. Prolouge

This is not your average story. This is the story of L, the creepy man who lives next to Light in his apartment who can stay up all night gaming like a mad man as he devours the sweets who can tell you the exact time even if he hasn't looked at a clock in days.

This is the story of Light, the out of high school student who wants to be independent and live alone and have his own life while living off of a tiny paycheck from the local library, and who may or may not know that he has a fan that looks at him all the time.

This is the story of Mello, the overly angry blonde male who looks like a female who is madly in love with Matt, and has a deep, dark secret that he hides from the world with locked doors and hits and slaps and punches and abuse.

This is the story of Matt, the gamer who has skills to hack FBI files but is too lazy to do so, the lover of Mello and all things to do with the Japanese culture (even though they live in fucking LA) and with a secret equally as dark as Mello's.

This is the story of Near, the silent boy who lives next to our heroine who plays with dice constantly and often wishes his conversations with Alice would never end and who dreams in black and ice blue.

And, this is the story of Alice Sunako, the heroine of our story, who will in help each of the characters in this story one way or another, even if she knows it or not.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." – _Abraham Lincoln. _


	2. The Beginning

-------------

Why didn't he stay with his parents? He had to be independent. Had to want to get his own place, be his own man; be woken up at four in the morning by the neighbors yelling at each other though the paper _fucking_ thin walls.

God, he hated that complex with a burning passion. But, it was either like in this rat hole or forever be condemned to the solitude of his room in his parents house. At least he'd have people to socialize with here.

Light Yagami, valedictorian of his class, class president, and most popular guy at his high school. Putting himself through college, he thought, would be the best. It would teach life lessons and how to cook and other important things. He hated having to work at the library, all the whiney children and crazy old ladies asking for random books that don't exist.

Again, it was still better than living with his parents.

**CRASH!**

"Aw, fuck Mello! That was the last dish!"

Light rolled his eyes. Another fight? Seriously, that guy has fuckin' issues, he thought. He had a half a mind to knock on the wall and tell them both to shut up.

All they ever did was fight. Or have wild, mindless sex all night long after those fights. It was hard to get sleep, especially with them as neighbors.

_Knock, knock_.

Light's ears perked up at the soft knock.

"Coming!" He yelled. He opened the door and there stood the face of Alice.

"Light, I heard a crash. Are you okay?" She asked in her soft voice. Light smiled.

"I'm fine, it came from Matt and Mello's." She shook her head.

"If they weren't so in love, I would have a half a mind to call the cops on them. Honestly, when they fight so loud that Near and I can hear it across the hall, I just don't know."

"Yes, well, be glad we have L to keep them on track half the time. They really look up to him." Light said, pointing his thumb in the direction of the door to the left. He leaned against the doorframe.

"Hmm, yes. Oh! That reminds me, I have a plate of cookies for him. He's been here for five years exactly today." She said, her eyes widening in remembrance.

"Five years in this hell hole?" Alice frowned.

"Don't talk like that." She said. Light let out a small chuckle.

"Oh Alice, you act just like my mother. I'd love to stay and chat but I've got studying to do. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. I don't want to disturb you in your studying habits. Bye Light!" She said as she turned away and waved, walking back to her apartment.

Light shut the door.

_SLAM!_

"**FUCK MELLO! THAT HURT!"**

Ugh, it was going to be a long night.

-----

The only light he would need is the flicker of the screen illuminating his wide, dark eyes. He needed nothing more. No people. No love. No care. Nothing. He popped another pretzel into his mouth.

He clicked rapidly. Yes, he was going to win thi- nope. Damn you level seventy elves. If he wasn't so addicted to this game he might be out drinking all night or partying with women. Yeah, I'll stick to games. I'd much rather risk getting carpal tunnel than falling in love.

Love is not a necessity. Defeating the elves was.

Knock knock.

**LxDmstr**: BRB guys. He tapped out.

He slunk to the door, wanting to not open it, because the light would be so blinding. Her smiling face greeted him.

"Oh, good evening, Miss Sunako." L said, giving a slight bow. Alice giggled.

"L, I've told you so many times: I'm not Japanese, and you can call me Alice." He didn't hear. He was too busy staring at the plat a sugary treats in her hands.

"Hmm, yes. Are those for me?" he asked, his dark eyes meeting her icy blue ones.

"Yes. Do you know why?" Alice's soft voice gained a bit of tone at the end of the sentence.

"Um, no. Is it because you're too kind to me and you know I need the sugar to stay up all evening to defeat those darn elves?"

She furrowed her brow. "No. It's because you've been here for five years. Remember?" Oh, he did. He remembered the peace before Mello and Matt moved in, remembered what it was like to not have silent Near across the hall to play his game all night with, to not have that out of school boy next door (His name was Light Yagami, aged 24 years with gorgeous hair), that same boy whom he would silently watch as he went out and about through the peephole. Oh, he remembered.

"Why, yes. I think I do." Alice smiled, her usual expression. L returned the smile as she handed him the plate of chocolaty delights in baked form.

"Thank you, Alice." L said.

THUD! "Owwwww…"

L's and Alice's heads both whipped over to the next-door over, where Matt and Mello lived. Alice sighed.

"Do you have any idea what's been bothering them lately? They seem to fight all the time." L shrugged.

"I've been to engrossed in my game to hear anything lately, quite frankly." L said, as he took the plastic off the plate in his hands and put the cookie to his lips. Alice shook her head.

"I'm starting to get worried. Plus, I think I saw matt with a black eye the other day. Mello does have a temper and Matt's not 'Mr. Sensitive'. I'm going to talk to them." Alice said, turning her back to L.

"Could you return the plate when you're done with the cookies?" Alice asked sweetly. L nodded and waved.

"Good luck, Miss Sunako. You're going to need it."

----------

First chapter up. I'm so glad to get this out. It was created on a whim at like four in the morning. Ugh, I'm so tired. Review please?


End file.
